Student/Postdoc Essay Contest in Neuroethics

The INS Student/Postdoc Essay Contest aims to promote interest in neuroethics among students and postdocs early in their academic careers. The contest is open to all post-secondary students enrolled in a degree-granting program at the undergraduate, graduate, or professional level. For the past two years, winning essays have been selected from two categories: academic and science communication.

The 2016 INS Student/Postdoc Essay Contest winners Kaitlyn McGlothlen and Monique Wonderly, center and right, received an award and stipend presented by Dr. Michael Patterson, left.

About the Contest

The essay contest is organized annually by the members of the INS Student/Postdoc Committee and supported by Dr. Michael Patterson. The call for essays is usually announced in March, submissions are accepted through June, and the winners, announced late summer, are invited to receive recognition at the INS Annual Meeting in the autumn.

The essay submission deadline for this year has passed, but we encourage you to review the format and requirements in the call for essays to prepare your future submissions.

Winning Essays

2018 Contest

• Personhood: Projection or Perception? – Academic Essay – Elizabeth M. Ingram (Published by The Dana Foundation)
• Not Our Problem? The Neuroethical Implications of Youth Detainment – Science Communication Essay – Jean Ngoc Boulware (Published by The Dana Foundation)

2017 Contest

• Neuroethics in Neurolaw: Exploring notions of duality and the implications for evidence and ethics – Academic Essay – Joseph J. Avery, Princeton University (Published by The Dana Foundation)
• A Medical Solution to Reducing Police Brutality – Science Communication Essay – Natalia Montes, University of Washington (Published by The Dana Foundation)

2016 Contest

• Addicted and Attached: A Neglected Perspective on Neuroscience Research Linking Addiction and Love – by Monique Wonderly, Princeton University (Published by The Dana Foundation)
• Oops, There Goes My Childhood: Identity and Ethical Issues in the Selective Erasing of Memories – by Kaitlyn McGlothlen, University of Washington (Published by The Dana Foundation)

2015 Contest

• The Suffering of Mice and Men: A Utilitarian Approach to Animal Experimentation – Jennifer Lee, McGill University
• "Neuroethics in Neuroscience Series: A Brief Examination of the Ethical Concerns Associated with Language and Communication Impairments in Legal Proceedings – Joseph Wszalek, University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Published in Kopf Carrier, #87, MAY 2016)

2014 Contest

• "Location of the soul and acceptance of brain death in the East and West," by Qing Yang, Yale University School of Medicine. (Published in Kopf Carrier, #84, June 2015)
• "Exploring the Ethical Implications of the Commercialization of Physiological Computing," by Katie L. Strong, Emory University. (Published in Kopf Carrier, #82, October 2014)

About the INS

The International Neuroethics Society is an interdisciplinary group of scholars, scientists,
clinicians, and other professionals dedicated to encouraging and inspiring research and
dialogue on the responsible use of advances in brain science. Practitioners from a wide
range of disciplines join the Society to interact, learn, and participate in critical neuroethics
discussions that further this growing field.